


Wishes, Fishes, Nightmares and Dreams

by Jacie



Category: NCIS
Genre: Case Fic, Human Trafficking, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Physical Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-09
Updated: 2012-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-31 02:49:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie/pseuds/Jacie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>McGee is still new to the team. They are called in to investigate the death of a Petty Officer. During the investigation, DiNozzo and McGee disappear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Investigation

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING:  
> Contains kidnapping, drugs, non-consensual sex/rape, physical abuse, verbal abuse, torture, human trafficking and other nightmarish stuff.  
> Notes: Sometime late May, I fell asleep with the TV on and woke up to some horror movie that was the inspiration for this. I tried not to write it, but it insisted on being written.  
> Notes: This story was completed 09/09/12 Five Chapters  
> I figured if there was ever an appropriate day to post this, it was on Halloween!

“Grab your gear,” Gibbs yelled across the bullpen.

“On your six, Boss,” Tony called back as he slung his pack across his shoulder. 

A moment later, Kate was on his heels, trailing after Gibbs. Scrambling to keep up, Tim grabbed his bag, banged into the corner of his desk and grimaced as he nearly missed the elevator. The only reason he made it was because Kate pressed the button to hold the door open for him. Gibbs glared at him disapprovingly.

“Sorry, Boss,” stammered Tim as he shifted the pack over his shoulder.

“Don’t be sorry, McGee, it’s a sign of weakness. Next time, be ready when the call comes in,” snapped Gibbs.

“But how would I know?” 

Reaching around from behind, Tony flicked Tim’s ear. “You use these, McDeafness. Keep those eyes and ears open at all times. Gibbs gets a call, you be ready to roll. Simple.”

“Yeah, um, simple,” Tim repeated as if trying to convince himself it could be done by sheer memorization and will power.

As the newest member of Gibbs’ team, Tim was regulated to riding in the back of the van. From what he had heard, Gibbs usually worked alone or with one partner, sometimes two. More than once, he had wondered why Gibbs was giving him the opportunity that he had wished for since he joined NCIS: the chance to be assigned as a full-time field agent. 

Sitting in the back, holding on the best he could, Tim hoped he would one day be an actual field agent rather than a probationary one. From the first time he had met Tony, Kate and Gibbs, he had admired them all. Sure Gibbs could be a little frightening, but he had the deepest respect of everyone around. He had earned it, and was obviously very good at what he did.

Kate had resigned from the Secret Service before making the move to NCIS. Tim trusted her. Although she was tough on him, he could count on her to tell him straight about things and help him when he had questions. He knew she looked after him like a big sister.

The one who frazzled his nerves the most was Tony. Not only was he a former Police Detective full of street smarts, he was clearly Gibbs’ right hand man. He was also the handsomest man Tim had ever met. Just being a few feet from Tony could cause Tim to lose his train of thought. At times he would find himself staring at Tony, oblivious to anything else, then suddenly realize that Kate or Gibbs had been trying to talk to him.

Like Kate, Tony sometimes treated him as a younger sibling, willing to teach him, but was not above pulling pranks and teasing him. Beyond the teasing and the demands that Tim call him ‘Sir’, Tony had a good heart and Tim knew he could be counted on when needed.

Today Gibbs drove, heading quickly toward the crime scene with determination all over his face.

“So what do we have today, Boss?” Tony asked.

“Dead Petty Officer in the park. He’d been reported missing earlier today, failed to report for duty. Another Petty Officer is missing, too. Might be a connection.”

“How did the Petty Officer die?” questioned McGee through the small window separating him from the rest of the team.

“That is what we’re here to determine, McGee,” replied Gibbs. 

“I thought maybe they told you when it was called in.”

“Never take anything for granted. Don’t believe what you you’re told. Double check everything,” said Gibbs sternly as he pulled the van to a stop.

“That’s rule number three,” Tony pointed out as he opened the door and grabbed his pack.

Tim nodded quickly, still afraid he would never get the hang of being a field agent well enough to be a full fledged member of Gibbs’ team.

After grabbing their gear, everyone followed Gibbs to a group of park rangers, a sheriff and a couple deputies. They were all gathered near the edge of a lake, a body partially visible, but settled in a few inches of water.

Gibbs flipped out his badge as he approached the scene. “Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS.”

“Ranger Patterson. A hiker saw the body and called it in.”

“How do you know he’s a Petty Officer?”

“We called out the Sheriff. That’s SOP in cases of death. They pulled his ID.”

Narrowing his eyes, Gibbs glanced at a young deputy. At least he was wearing latex gloves. 

“It’s over there, on the hood of my squad car,” the deputy said, nodding at his vehicle. 

“We also found an abandoned vehicle at the trailhead,” added Ranger Patterson. Pulling a small sheet from his pad of paper, he handed it to Gibbs. “It’s registered to Kevin Grossman. Another ranger remembered them stopping in for a map. She said there were two men and two women. If NCIS can handle the body here, my crew is gathering up a search party and will start looking for the other three missing hikers.”

Nodding, Gibbs turned to his team. “Ducky should be here soon. Kate, photos. DiNozzo, take McGee down that trail. See if you can find anything.”

“That trail splits off,” said Ranger Patterson. “They could be about anywhere.”

“Something tells me that a sailor who went out hiking and was found dead in the lake probably stuck to the trail closest to the water,” Gibbs responded.

“On it, Boss,” Tony called loudly as he set off.

Hesitating for a moment, Tim’s eyes darted quickly from Gibbs, to Kate, then to Tony. Hoisting his pack over his shoulder, Tim had to run to catch up.

“What are we looking for?”

Tony smiled, “Clues, Probie. Didn’t you hear the Ranger? We’re looking for footprints of a party of four, two men and two ladies. Body of a hiker was found in a lake, so how did he get there? We’re looking for perhaps a struggle, or maybe a picnic spot where our Petty Officer decided to go for a swim. Possibly there is a steep part of the trail where he fell, or maybe he’s into cliff diving. Maybe, just maybe, someone else in his party was in trouble and he tried to help them.”

“You think the others may be dead, too?

“Keep an open mind McGee. Look for anything out of place.”

“Like a body?”

“That, McObvious, could be a very good clue.”

The pair walked along the trail, each keeping an eye out for any sign of the missing hikers. After walking twenty-five minutes, they came to a section of beach running along side the trail.

“Spread out, McGee.”

“You think he went in the water here?”

“Maybe. Call it a gut instinct, but looks like a lot of fresh tracks around. Large men’s boot tracks and smaller ladies’ shoe prints. Looks like a nice place to stop for a picnic or just to hang out for a while.”

When Tony’s cell phone rang, he flipped it open. “Yeah, Boss. Not much, but we found a spot with a large bank, a dock and a couple picnic tables. Plenty of tracks around, too. Yeah, Boss, we’re going to take a good look around.”

“Did they find anything else down there?” asked Tim.

“Ducky showed up and they pulled the Petty Officer out of the water. Gibbs said he looked like he’d been in a fight and he may have been stabbed to death before he was tossed in the water. He was still wearing his boots, so he probably wasn’t out for a swim. Ducky doesn’t think drowning was the cause of death. You know what that means, right?”

“What?”

“I’m thinking this is looking like a definite homicide rather than an accidental death.”

Tim nodded as he processed what Tony had said, then continued searching the area for things that didn’t belong. “Hey, Tony. Found a Frisbee.”

“Bag it and tag it, McGee.”

“You think it was their’s?”

“Maybe. But that is why you’re going to collect it.”

A few minutes later, Tony pushed his way through a brushy patch at the far end of the waterfront. “Damn it!” he said softly as he waded out into the muddy edge of the water in his leather shoes. Holding tightly to a tree branch, he reached out as far as he could, retrieving a cooler floating amongst the branches near the shoreline.

“Hey, Probie, check it out. This thing still has beer and ice in it. Can’t have been floating around here for long.”

“There’s a guy fishing in a boat out there. Think we should talk to him?”

Tony looked up and out over the water. “Can’t hurt. He may have seen something.” 

Working his way to a clearing at the water’s edge, Tony waved toward the man in the boat. Cupping his hands, he called out loudly, “Hey, do you mind if we talk to you for a bit?” 

The man in the boat shrugged, pulled in his fishing line and revved his engine as he moved toward the shore. Leaving their evidence behind, Tony and Tim made their way to the weathered dock, walking out to meet the man in the boat. He already had a few fish on a line and a couple empty beer cans at the bottom of his boat.

“Do you come out here often?” Tony asked, kneeling down on the dock.

“Just about every day.” The man was a little heavy and had dark hair and a beard. Using his hand, he blocked the sun from his eyes, then adjusted his baseball cap.

“Were you out here any time yesterday?”

“Yep. There was some mighty fine fishing out here last night.”

When he heard Tim gasp, Tony turned quickly. A man built like a body builder had a gun to McGee’s head. Looking pale, Tim trembled slightly, his hands raised. When their eyes met, Tim’s looked like he had messed up badly and knew it.

By the time Tony was reaching for his sidearm, the man in the boat stood up and hit him with a stun gun. Before Tony could move again, the man had taken his weapon away, using it to knock Tony unconscious, then he snapped a pair of handcuffs around Tony’s wrists.

The other man, muscular, shaved head and wearing a tank top, pushed Tim toward the boat.

“We’re Federal Agents,” Tim stammered, his eyes searching the trail for any sign of Gibbs, the Park Rangers or anyone who might be hiking their way.

The man in the boat grabbed Tim’s belt and pulled him down from the dock, quickly handcuffing his wrists as well. After pushing him to the bottom of the boat, he pressed lengths of duct tape across both Tim’s and Tony’s mouths. Barely a minute passed before the engine revved and they were headed out into the heart of the lake.

A short time later, they slowed the boat and the bearded man patted them both down, removing their IDs, badges, guns and cell phones. He tossed the phones overboard first as he paused to read the IDs.

“Well, hot damn, I guess they really are feds. Must be up here looking for those kids who went missing last night.”

“Maybe if they behave themselves, we’ll have to share what we know.”

The men laughed as they carefully moved about the boat. The center boards they were using as seats were lifted up and the boards at the sides of the boat dropped to the bottom, revealing two long, dark hiding spaces. Tony was rolled into one and Tim was shoved into the other. After the boards were put back into place, the engine roared to life again, as they zoomed across the lake.

A while later, Tim could feel it as the boat was winched out of the water and onto a trailer. Pitch blackness prevented him from seeing anything, but he sensed the space was small. It was hot and humid, making it difficult to breath, especially with the duct tape across his mouth. Rolling from side to side, he tried to test the area, but the sides were firm, holding him trapped inside.

It wasn’t any better once the trailer began moving. Tim thought he might be getting both carsick and seasick at the same time. The trailer held the boat at a slight angle. Trying his best not to panic, Tim wondered about Tony and how he was doing. He feared Tony waking up and finding himself alone and trapped in the small, dark enclosure. It felt like a coffin.

Having lost all sense of time, Tim wasn’t sure whether he had fallen asleep or not. All he could hear were the muffled sounds of the truck that was hauling them. He could tell when they slowed down, then stopped. It sounded like the rattle of a chain and a gate dragging across the gravel road, open and shut.

A few moments later they moved forward slowly again for a while. The road was much rougher, like a dirt road. After another brief stop, Tim could hear more noises, like the opening of a garage door, then they proceeded slowly forward, stopped and backed up a short distance.

“Let’s get them out and cleaned up.”

Tim couldn’t help but hold his breath. He felt like he was hiding and maybe if he remained quiet and held his breath, they wouldn’t find him. It didn’t matter. He soon could feel someone on the boat taking the seats down and dropping the side boards. The light that hit his eyes was fluorescent, not sunlight. He wasn’t asked to roll out of the spot, he was grabbed and dragged out, then picked up and tossed over the side of the boat, where he landed in a mix of dirt and sand.

Moving around, he struggled to get his bearings and caught sight of Tony. The bearded man had Tony on his knees with a chain around his neck. Tim detected trickles of dried blood running down one side of Tony’s face and neck. Like Tony, Tim could tell his hands were still cuffed and there was still duct tape across his mouth.

The man with the shaved head slipped a choke chain collar around Tim’s neck and attached a leash. One hard yank and Tim immediately got onto his knees as he glanced at the man standing next to him. He wanted to ask why.

“He’s going to train easy. Kaplan will be pleased. This one here,” the bearded man said as he tightened up the chain around Tony’s neck, “is going to need a little more work. This way.”

Tony fought back, pulling against the chain. The bearded man let Tony pull the choke chain tight, then released his hold on the chain suddenly, allowing Tony to fall to the ground. After picking up the leash again, the man walked over and kicked Tony in the stomach a few times to knock the wind out of him. After that, he dragged Tony along the ground.

Tim looked up and his eyes met those of the other man, the one holding onto his leash. “We can do this hard, or we can do this easy,” the man said as he yanked once on the leash. 

Tim managed to get onto his feet and followed his captor. Fighting them wasn’t getting Tony anywhere. Tim glanced around. They appeared to be in a stable. He could see plenty of hay, dirt, ropes, chains and what appeared to be stall doors. 

They were taken into a concrete area with a drain. Their handcuffs were each clipped to a separate overhead chain and raised until both Tony and Tim were standing on the concrete floor. The man with the shaved head stood aside and watched while the other man pulled out a pair of heavy shears and began cutting through Tony’s clothing. Tony struggled. He pulled his weight up onto the chain and used both feet to kick the man away from him.

“That one needs to settle his ass down,” observed the man with the shaved head as he reached for a rope.

The bearded man grunted and grabbed a club from a hook on the wall. 

“Come on, Randy. You don’t want to beat him black and blue before Kaplan even sees him, do you?” Approaching Tony slowly, the man waited until Tony tried kicking out again. This time he used the rope to lash Tony’s legs together. Turning to his friend, he said, “Let’s get them cleaned up and then you can play with him.”

Randy nodded and chuckled. Before returning to Tony, he grabbed his stun gun. “You move again, boy, this is what you’ll get.”

Even with the other man holding his legs, Tony still struggled and was soon hit with the stun gun until he quieted down. Randy was then able to finish cutting away his clothing and did the same to Tim. “Okay, Jim,” he said, “hit them.”

“My pleasure.” Jim unreeled a hose and sprayed both Tony and Tim down with cold water, leaving them both shivering. Stepping forward, he towel dried them and pulled off the duct tape. “One sound from either of you and you’ll both get the stun gun.”

Jim had just finished winding the hose back onto its reel when Randy returned, followed by another man. “I can’t believe you already got two more. That’s a good job, guys.”

“Yes, Sir, Mr. Kaplan. I know you said you had orders stacking up.”

Jim and Randy stood nearby as Kaplan slowly inspected Tim and Tony, walking around them and occasionally reaching out and touching.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Tim.

Tony still had his legs tied together, but it didn’t stop him from squirming and kicking at Kaplan. “You better let us the fuck go,” Tony warned. 

“We’re Federal Agents,” Tim added.

“And they’re tracking us. Our team is going to be here any minute to take you down.”

Kaplan looked back at Randy and Jim, then started laughing. “I like this pair. They’ve got a little kick to them. I’ll send Logan over with the camera.”

All three men left, still chatting, as Tim and Tony remained hanging by their handcuffs, their feet barely touching the concrete floor.

“What is this?” Tim whispered.

Tony tugged on the chains and tried scissor kicking his legs to loosen the rope binding them together. “I don’t know, Probie, but I don’t like the looks or the sound of it.”

“Are they really coming for us? Gibbs and Kate?”

“Sure Probie. How long was I out?”

“I don’t know. I might have slept a little. I could tell we were left in the boat and winched onto a trailer. There was some rougher ground like a dirt or gravel road, then blacktop. We hit more gravel and dirt roads when we got here.”

“You two don’t listen very well, do you?” yelled Jim as he came around the corner. A younger man was with him, holding a camera. “Go ahead and shoot him,” Jim said, motioning to Tim. “I’ll get this one set up.”

It didn’t take the man long to snap a few pictures of Tim. By the time he was done, Jim had fastened two leather cuffs to Tony’s ankles and hooked them together with a short chain.

“This one’s giving you some trouble already, I see,” said Logan. Stepping forward, he finger styled Tony’s hair a little, then stepped back for a few more shots. “I think that’s enough to start with.”

Tim and Tony watched as Randy gathered up the remains of their shoes and clothing. Jim released Tim’s overhead chain first and stepped toward him. Tony still tried to kick out as Jim closed in on Tim, while Tim tried to back away. Jim laughed and grabbed out for Tim’s leash. Pulling him away from Tony, Jim pushed Tim to the ground, then pulled leather pouches over each of his hands and lacing the wrist straps through the handcuffs.

Tony watched as Tim was led away, then went back trying to find a way to free himself.

It wasn’t long before Jim was back. This time he carried a stun gun in his hand. “Be smart, pal, like your friend.”

“Get the fuck away from me,” Tony yelled, pulling against the chain.

“Don’t be stupid.”

“I’ll leave that to you. What are you thinking? Do you have any idea how much time you’ll do for kidnapping Federal Agents?”

Grabbing a club off the hook, Jim stepped closer and hit Tony on the back of his knees. A moment later, Tony’s full weight was hanging by his wrists, the handcuffs and the chain. He felt the electrodes press against his skin and braced himself for what was coming next. Jim hit him twice, enough to render him helpless.

As Jim released the tension on the chain, Tony’s body fell into a crumpled heap on the cold, concrete floor. Grabbing a leather harness, he returned to Tony, strapping the harness onto his body, rolling him over as needed. Next, he covered each of Tony’s hands with leather pouches, tying them into place. 

Once he was satisfied everything was in order, he grabbed onto the chain clipped between Tony’s ankles and began dragging him through the barn. Before Tony recovered, Jim had dragged him into a stall, locking another chain to his handcuffs before shoving him inside and closing the door.

“I don’t want to hear another sound out of any of you. If I do, Randy and I are going to be punishing someone. I hope that’s clear enough,” Jim shouted loudly out as he walked away.


	2. Disappeared

“What’s wrong, Gibbs?” Kate ask, shading her eyes from the sun.

“Don’t know yet,” replied Gibbs as he flipped his phone open again. “Abby! I need to track DiNozzo’s cell. He missed a check in and he’s not answering. Check McGee’s, too. They were together. Yeah. Call me back.”

Kate scrambled after Gibbs as he headed down the trail that Tony and Tim had taken. The pair jogged over the trail until they got to the clearing that matched the one Tony had described.

Kneeling down, Gibbs studied the footprints until he had a good sense which ones belonged to his missing agents. “Look at that,” he said, pointing out the group of things Tim and Tony had collected.

Gibbs and Kate searched through the bagged and tagged items. There was the Frisbee, the cooler, a pair of sandals and a few other things. Kate looked out over the water as Gibbs followed the tracks to the dock.

“Where did they go?” Kate asked.

“Boat.” Something on the dock caught Gibbs’ eye. “Get the kit, Kate.”

“What did you find?”

Looking up, Gibbs sighed deeply as he controlled his emotions. “Blood.”

Before Kate returned, Abby called. “Thanks, Abs,” said Gibbs as he hung up. Pulling a card out of his pocket, he tapped in the number. “Ranger Patterson, I need a boat. I had DiNozzo’s phone traced. It’s still on. According to the most recent signal, he’s somewhere out in the middle of this lake. I hope so. I rather he were in a boat than trying to swim out there.”

As soon as Kate returned, Gibbs swabbed the blood from the dock. “You take this to Abby. I want to know of it belongs to Tim or Tony ASAP.”

“On it, Gibbs. Where are you going?”

“Out on the lake.”

“Why would they be on the lake?”

“Hopefully, looking for the missing hikers.”

An hour later, Gibbs was on the phone to Abby again. “Are you sure, Abs? There’s nothing here. No boat, no swimmers, no debris. Just a whole lot of water.” 

Slamming his phone shut, Gibbs turned to Ranger Patterson at the rear of the boat. He’d managed to commandeer a search boat with two divers aboard. They had suited up while Gibbs was confirming the location with Abby.

Forty minutes later the divers were back on board, along with two cell phones, two badges and two guns. Gibbs grabbed the water soaked badges, flipping them open to find that they did belong to Tim and Tony. 

“Where the hell are they?” he demanded as he watched the divers go over the side again.

“I don’t know, Gibbs,” said Ranger Patterson, his hands on the side of the boat as he watched the divers disappear. Looking up, he searched the horizon, then grabbed his radio. “Looks like we have two missing Federal Agents as well. DiNozzo and McGee. If anyone comes across them, call me immediately.” Turning back, he tried to sound assuring. “We’re going to find them, Gibbs.”

NCIS~~~NCIS~~~NCIS

Tim made his way over to the wooden wall that separated his stall from Tony’s. Placing his leather-covered hands against the wood, he peered through the slats and saw Tony lying still, unmoving. He wanted so badly to shout out and to comfort him, but he didn’t dare make a sound. Instead he sat leaning against the wall, eventually falling asleep.

With the fluorescent lights illuminating the barn every moment, Tim and Tony easily lost all track of time. Tim ate the food that was offered to him and drank the water, while Tony tried to drink as little as possible and refused to eat. When they heard a commotion in the main aisle, they struggled to their feet and made their way to the front of their stalls.

There were other captives, some males and some females. Each stall had a clipboard with writing on it. Every time food or water was checked, a notation was made. Each time a captive was removed from their stall, a notation was made. 

Tim and Tony soon found themselves part of the rotation. Each of the captives was taken out and hosed down daily. Some of them were taken into the arena for training or exercising. Sometimes a captive was brought to the center aisle and beaten or raped in view of the others.

Tony was taken out before Tim and tried fighting against his captors, but he had lost a lot of energy. With his ankles still clipped together, he fell easily and found it getting more difficult to get up again each time he went down. 

In the arena, his chain was attached to a post in the center. He felt a hard strike on his ass and instinctively jumped forward. When he continued to fight, Jim came over and snapped a leash to the collar around Tony’s neck and began dragging him along, while Randy remained behind, swatting Tony if he wasn’t moving along fast enough.

A while later, they looked out to see Randy pulling all the females out of their stalls and chaining them in the center aisle. They watched as the girls’ hair was brushed out. Within a few minutes they saw Kaplan walking into the building, accompanied by another man.

“Oh yes, they’re all good stock. Some are more gentled and obedient than others, but if you keep them appropriately, like we do, they will give you no trouble. I’ll even tell you what. If you don’t like the one you take, I’ll give you thirty days to trade in for a different one, provided she’s still unmarked and in good health.”

The girls all looked frightened, attempting to evade the touches as the man inspected them all. More words were exchanged, then Kaplan and the buyer stood back as Randy and Jim quickly pulled one girl from the line and began getting her ready for the trip. They harnessed and gagged her, then wrestled her into a large pet carrier. An older man stepped forward and gave her a shot which immediately quieted her down.

“She won’t give you much of a fight for several hours,” Kaplan promised, shaking the other man’s hand.

“I should have her home in less than six.”

After the buyer left, Kaplan walked over to the older man. “Hey Doc, the boys tell me this new one won’t eat. Anything you can do about that?”

The older man laughed. “Of course. Let me mix something up and I’ll be right back.”

“Get him out here,” Kaplan ordered.

Jim slid the door of Tony’s stall open, while Randy armed himself with a club and stun gun. In his weakened state, Tony didn’t have much fight left in him as they dragged him into the main aisle. Randy pulled over a wooden cart and pushed Tony over the top of it. Jim quickly strapped him down using the harness, securing him tightly. Randy turned Tony’s head to one side when the doctor returned, pressing it down hard enough that he was giving Tony a headache.

Clamping his mouth shut, Tony tried to turn his head, but found he was unable to. Jim stood nearby pinching his nose shut, forcing Tony to breathe through his mouth. Meanwhile, the doctor had mixed some ingredients in bowl and filled a large tube with it. Using a plunger, he emptied the tube into Tony’s mouth and tried to make him swallow as Jim held his mouth closed and Randy continued to force his head down.

The mixture didn’t taste bad, Tony could pick out the flavors of honey, peanut butter and oatmeal. It still turned his stomach to swallow it, but he couldn’t manage to spit the concoction out. Once the mixture was gone, the doctor smiled.

“He’ll be fine.”

“Thanks, Doc,” said Kaplan. “With his looks, I should get a decent price for him.”

Hours and days passed in an unending, unidentifiable parade. There were no clocks or watches to check, no windows or doors that allowed in outside light. Only the fluorescent lights that lit everything brightly from above every minute of the day and night.

The sounds were varied. Sometimes it was silent, other times they heard Randy and Jim working around the barn, feeding, cleaning or moving the stock as they liked to call their captives. Occasionally they could hear a vehicle coming or going, which usually accompanied the coming or going of one or more of the captives. 

Leaning close to the wall between them, Tim whispered to Tony. “You’ve got to eat, Tony. You have to keep up your strength.”

“It’s drugged,” Tony replied.

“Drugged? I don’t feel anything different.”

“Maybe not yours, but mine.”

“Why would they poison you?”

“Not poison, drugs. Makes me sleepy.”

“How are we going to get out of here?”

Randy’s loud laughter rolled into their stalls. “Talking’s a good way. Come on out of there, Dough Boy.”

Tim silently fumed. He hadn’t taken a liking to the nickname he’d been given. “I’m not your ‘Dough Boy’,” he yelled. “My name is Special Agent Timothy McGee.”

For the first time, Tim felt the stun gun. “He’s getting a little feisty.” Opening the door, Randy yanked on the chain connected to Tim’s collar, pulling him into the main aisle. “I think it’s time I sample the goods here. That’s one sweet looking ass,” said Randy as he palmed one of Tim’s butt cheeks.

“Get your grubby hands off of him,” hollered Tony, suddenly leaping to his feet and rushing the front of his stall. Kicking violently, he tried to bully the stall door into opening.

“One more word out of you and I might have to shove my dick in your mouth to shut you up,” threatened Jim.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t put anything there I would mind losing,” Tony hissed back.

“Oh, Randy, I do love a challenge.”

“Take him out, Jim. It’s time he got acquainted with some more of our toys. Bring him on over here. I think he should watch his boy get fucked. With an ass this sweet, it’s got to be virginal. I bet he’s tight as can be.”

As Jim pulled him from his stall, Tony still fought against the chain that held him, his teeth clamped together. “Might make him jealous.”

Randy clipped Tim’s chain to a ring on one side of the aisle, then brought another chain out, clipping it from his collar to the far side of the aisle. Next he pulled out the wooden cart. It had wheels on one end and solid legs on the other, so it could be moved around like a wheelbarrow. On the top, it was flat at the perfect height to bend a person over it. There were rings attached to it in various places.

Once it was settled in front of Tim, Randy physically maneuvered him into position. Bending him forward, Randy pulled Tim’s arms to the front of the cart, clipping the handcuffs over a hook on the front end. In the back, he clipped Tim’s ankle cuffs to the cart’s legs.

Tim wiggled. They’d seen other captives raped across the cart before. He could see the traces of blood, sweat and dried vomit. “Please don’t,” he begged.

“These two must have some sort of learning disability,” said Randy. A moment later, he returned with a ball gag, shoving the ball into Tim’s mouth and tightening down the straps.

A few feet away, Jim had knocked Tony onto his knees and secured him with chains on either side of the aisle. Taking another short strap, Jim fastened it between the chain binding Tony’s ankle cuffs together and ran the other end along his spine, clipping it to the back of his collar.

“You’re going to watch this,” he promised, dragging the tip of a knife across Tony’s neck. “You keep those eyes open, or I may have to cut off an eyelid or two.”

Bent over at the waist, Tim was forced to breathe through his nose, the ball gag making it difficult to even swallow. Randy stepped away long enough to grab a bottle of corn oil. Allowing the liquid to fall from several inches above Tim’s back, he watched as the oil glistened in the light.

“Now that is a pretty sight.” Lifting his cock, Randy slapped it against Tim’s back. “Sweet virgin ass, that’s what we got here. Can’t wait to get my dick inside.”

A few feet away, Jim grabbed a handful of Tony’s hair, forcing him to face Tim.

Raising his hand, Randy began slapping Tim’s butt. “Flaming red. I love them when they’re pale. Nothing sweeter.” A growling lust began shading his voice as his cock grew hard and began bumping against Tim’s skin.

Beginning to hyperventilate, Tim struggled against his bonds and tried to lift his head. With one firm hand, Randy slammed Tim’s head back against the cart. “Yeah, this is going to be good.” After rolling one of his fingers in the oil, he began rubbing it up and down in Tim’s crack, then paused to push his butt cheeks apart. Using his own legs, Randy forced Tim’s thighs further apart.

Sliding one finger into Tim’s hole caused Randy to moan long and low and the tight muscles embraced the intrusion. “Got to be a virgin. Jim, you should feel how fucking tight his hole is.” Working his finger in and out quickly, Randy forced more oil into the hole, then added another finger, twisting it as he pushed it in deeper. “I could come just from fingering him, I swear.”

“Do it, man, do it. Fuck him hard,” urged Jim, rubbing his own cock through his jeans.

“Please,” begged Tony softly, “please fuck me. Leave him alone.”

Jim laughed and tightened the choke chain around Tony’s neck. “How about for every word I hear out of your mouth, Dough Boy stays out here another hour. We can fuck him on the hour, every hour just for you. Fuck him, Randy. Do it!”

After releasing his overalls, and lining himself up, Randy pushed in hard, causing Tim to squirm and groan. Pulling out just slightly, Randy forced himself in harder and deeper, drawing more panicked moans from Tim with each thrust.

“That’s it, man. Ride him hard,” pushed Jim, rubbing his jeans hard and fast.

Clenching his fists, Tony wanted nothing more than to leap to his feet and save Tim from this agony. When he tested his bonds, he could feel the strap tighten around his neck, threatening to cut off his breathing. He didn’t want to watch and he didn’t want to relax, but there was nothing he could do to stop what was going on. When his eyes met Tim’s, he couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down his cheeks, matching Tim’s own.

Ten minutes later, Randy punched Tim in the ribs three times, then finally grunted and pulled out, limp and fully spent. “Damn, he's hotter and tighter than any of the bitches we’ve got around here.”

“Yeah, that looked hot.”

“Sweet, sweet ride” agreed Randy as he grabbed a rag and blotted the sweat from his face. Leaving Tim collapsed across the cart, Randy redressed and made his way over to a bench at the side of the aisle and sat down heavily.

Jim walked away from Tony only long enough to grab a couple things off the wall. One was a combination of leather and metal, it had a bar across like a bit, but also had metal and rubber pieces set at angles.

The other piece Jim carried was a tool he pressed between Tony’s upper and lower teeth. When he squeezed the handle, it forced Tony to open his mouth, allowing Jim to push the metal bar into his mouth, quickly tightening the straps around Tony’s head. The bridle forced his mouth open at a slight angle and prevented him from biting down or closing his mouth.

“See there, Stormy? I won’t be worrying about your bite after all,” said Jim as he stepped out of his pants and slipped his cock inside Tony’s mouth. “We’ll train you right. You better get some tongue action going, or I’m going to have to take a turn riding on Dough Boy.”

Hatred boiled in Tony’s heart. He hated these men and what they were doing: kidnapping, raping, torturing and selling other people. He especially hated the names they gave their captives. When they had first arrived, Randy had said Tim reminded him of the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and Tony’s eyes were the color of the water of the lake during a storm. He didn’t want to be Stormy, he wanted to be Tony.

As soon as Jim finished and removed the contraption from Tony’s head, Tony spit what he could to the ground, his anger fuming out in heavy breaths. Jim stood and laughed, then released the strap between Tony’s ankles and collar. A hard yank on Tony’s chain had him up and moving back to his stall. As he passed by Tim, he wanted so much to reach out and comfort his friend.

Jim latched Tony’s lead chain outside the door, then shoved him inside, slamming the door behind him as he fell to the ground. A moment later, the phone in the main aisle rang and Jim answered it. 

“We got a buyer coming in,” Jim told Randy. “They want the girls out.”

Leaving Tim where he was, Randy and Jim quickly got to work bringing the girls out from their stalls and brushing their hair out. Within minutes Kaplan strode into the barn accompanied by two other men. 

“I have some outstanding stock this time around, Len. I know you’re going to like them,” Kaplan was assuring the older man.

“That’s a sweet pale ass right there,” said the younger man as they came closer to Tim.

Kaplan smiled. “Ever fuck an ass that sweet?” he asked.

Blushing lightly, the young man confessed, “I might have taken a ride or two in my day.”

“Have him if you want. On me. Free sample. I’ll make you a good deal if you want to take him home.”

“Awesome!” the younger man was already unbuckling his pants as Randy was grabbing a condom and a tube of lube for him. “Thank you, Mr. Kaplan.”

“Any time, John.” With an arm around the older man’s shoulders, Kaplan led him down to inspect the females. 

Seething, Tony stood up as close as he could to the front of the stall. He grasped the bars as best as he could with his hands still covered with the leather pouches. He wanted to yell and scream at them. Most of all, he wanted to dissuade the buyers from taking Tim away with them.

After carefully inspecting each of the girls, Len picked out two of them. “A blonde and a brunette this time, I think. I like to have a choice or two around the house.”

“Dough Boy there would make an interesting option.”

Shaking his head and chuckling, he said, “When John wants to spend his own money, then he can pick out whatever he wants. Until then, he’s damn lucky I let him play with my toys.”

Smiling, Kaplan nodded, then led Len through a door. Tony was pretty sure Kaplan had an office through that door and they were going there to exchange the money.

Jim and Randy went about their work in getting the two girls ready for the trip. They both looked terrified. At least they wouldn’t be going alone. Tony hoped they would be able to comfort each other.

After the buyer and his son left, Kaplan walked back through the barn and ruffled Tim’s hair. “It’s okay Dough Boy, I’m sure we’ll find you a home soon.” Turning back to Randy and Jim, he said, “I want those two replaced by tomorrow.”

“Yes, Sir, we’ll go out fishing again tonight,” replied Randy.

“It’s been a good season,” added Jim as Kaplan left the barn.

“You want a taste of this before I put him back in his stall?” asked Randy as he headed toward Tim.

“Sure, why not?” said Jim as he stepped up behind Tim, rubbing his right cheek. “Get me a condom though, I’ve seen what’s already been up his ass tonight.”

“I ain’t got nothing.”

“I don’t know about that. The way you ride these bitches and dudes around here, hard to believe your dick hasn’t fallen off yet.”

“Here you go, mother fucker. He should still be greased up pretty good.”

“Oh, fuck yes,” exclaimed Jim as he pushed his cock in fully.

“Shame to sell him off as bait when he has such a sweet, tight ass.”

Biting his tongue, Tony watched from his stall, wishing he could break the wall down and pull Jim off of Tim. At times he had to turn away as Tim groaned and grimaced in obvious pain. Jim kept up the assault until Randy returned to tell him everything was ready. With that said, Jim punched Tim hard in the temple, which set off his orgasm.

“Damn, that was good,” he said, pulling the condom from his cock and tossing it into a nearby trash can. “You know I don’t go in for the dudes beyond an occasional blow job, but that there was one hot fucking hole.”

Randy smiled as he released the straps holding Tim down, then dragged him back to his stall and tossed him in before slamming the door shut and latching it. “Let’s go fishing!”

Hours later, Tony heard the truck return. Leaning into the bars at the front of his stall, he caught a glimpse of Randy and Jim dragging in two young women dressed in bikinis. The girls were screaming as they were dragged into the concrete washing area and out of Tony‘s sight.

Tony returned to the wall next to Tim’s stall. Tim hadn’t moved since Randy had thrown him down. “Tim, can you hear me?” whispered Tony. “Tim, please, please answer me.”

Barely sleeping as he kept a watch over Tim, Tony hardly noticed the sound of the food cart being rolled down the aisle. He could tell it was who it was. Logan was younger than the others and always talked to them soothingly, but he only used the names Jim and Randy gave them, never their real names. All the captives knew not to answer verbally. It would only bring on more punishment.

Tony listened as Logan made his way up the other side of the barn. He always fed the women first. They mostly had names of flowers or jewels. Apparently the new ones had been dubbed ‘May’ and ‘June’ for whatever reason. A couple minutes later, Logan crossed the aisle to the men’s side.

At least he did check on the captives when he fed them. “Dough Boy? Dough Boy? Come on. Breakfast time. Hey, Dough Boy?”

Tony heard the stall door slide open and watched as Logan knelt down and checked Tim out. Rolling him over, Logan laid a hand onto his stomach, watching as his chest rose and fell. Next he pressed his fingers against Tim’s neck. Even through the narrow slit of the wooden wall boards, Tony could see the bruising on Tim. Blotches of red and blue dotted his body from his face and chest down to his hips and legs.

“Poor boy,” Logan said softly. “What the hell did they do to you?”

“They raped him.” Tony said loudly through the wall. “Repeatedly and violently.”

“Um, okay,” said Logan, surprised any of the captives would dare speak out so loudly.

“Call the cops, Logan. Do the right thing and I’ll help you.”

“You don’t know anything,” said Logan as he rose to his feet. Leaving Tim on the ground with the stall door open, Logan made his way to the phone in the aisle and dialed quickly. “Hey, Doc, Dough Boy’s down. I can’t wake him up. He’s been beaten pretty badly. Okay. Thank you.”

After closing and latching Tim’s stall, Logan moved on to Tony’s stall, putting food into the bins. His eyes dropped to the ground briefly before he looked up again. Keeping his voice to a soft whisper, he said, “It’ll be okay, Stormy. Doc will fix him up.”

“Fix him up for what?” Tony asked through gritted teeth. “So they can rape him again? And beat him? Sell him?”

Logan moved on without answering.

After he finished doling out the food, Logan returned to Tim’s stall to wait for the Doc. Tony watched as best he could.

“What’s this?” asked the Doc as he knelt down, removing the ball gag from Tim’s head and the leather pouches from his hands.

“I don’t know,” said Logan. “This is how he was when I found him.”

“I already don’t like when those two take liberties with the stock, but to put this poor boy away in this condition. How was he supposed to eat and drink?”

“I don’t know,” answered Logan.

“Well, go fetch me a pail of warm, soapy water and a towel. We’ll get him cleaned up as best we can. Then I’ll make sure he’s given a proper bath. If any of the others have gags on or their hands bound in leather, remove the constraints. Leaving them in handcuffs all the time is bad enough.”

Tony kept watch as they cleaned Tim up. Clenching his fists tightly, he seethed, wishing he could single-handedly take down all of their captors. More than anything else, he wished he could comfort Tim. Unable to help their situation in any way, he watched as Logan and Doc inspected and cleaned Tim’s wounds. Eventually Tim woke up, startled, and tried to scoot away.

“It’s okay, Boy,” Doc said calmly. “We’ll get you cleaned up and fed.”

Like he had with Tony before, Doc made a mixture and forced it into Tim’s mouth, making certain that he swallowed the concoction fully. Remaining at the wall, Tony waited until Logan and Doc left before trying to communicate with Tim, but several hours passed before Tim woke up again. 

Making his way across his stall, Tim seemed unstable. “I think you’re right,” he finally admitted. “I think they’re drugging the food. At least some of the time.” Feeling groggy, Tim leaned his back against the wall and buried his face in his hands.

“We can do this, Probie. We’re going to get out of here,” whispered Tony.

“How? We’re chained up and drugged. And they,” pausing, Tim swallowed deeply. “They hurt me, Tony.”

“I know, Tim. I know. But everything will be okay. I promise.”

“They almost sold me,” Tim whispered softly. “They raped me.”

Tony felt his heart breaking as he wished he could reach out. Drawing his fist back, he punched the wall hard enough to make Tim jump.

“Sorry, Probie. I was hoping the wood was old and rotted enough I could break through it. I guess not.”


	3. Surviving

Days passed with more of the same rituals. They were fed at least twice a day, taken out to be bathed and exercised each day. From time to time they were taken out and inspected, sometimes it was only Kaplan, other times there were buyers there to check them out. Almost every day, it seemed, Jim and Randy would get drunk and choose one or more of the captives to beat or rape in the center aisle.

Every moment he was awake, Tony thought about ways to escape. As each day dragged out, it became harder to endure, especially when Tim was the one pulled from his stall and repeatedly raped. 

When they thought none of their captors were in the barn, Tim and Tony would lean close together and conspire through the breaks in the wooden wall dividing their stalls. They wondered how close Gibbs was to them and were certain that any day now he would come bursting into the barn to free them. Together they tried to think of ways to make buyers not want them. 

Tim had feigned passing out one night, even as painful as it was for him to hang his entire weight on his wrists. His shoulders ached for days afterward and Randy and Jim felt it necessary to punish him for that stunt.

One day when Randy came for him, Tony had a plan to put into action. He had wrapped the chain lead around his hands and braced himself. Once he heard the slide bolt move and the stall door open, Tony yanked on the chain as hard as he could, pulling Randy off balance and into the stall.

In an instant, Tony had the chain wrapped around Randy’s thick neck and was pulling with all his might. Randy struggled, attempting to get back on his feet, grasping desperately at the chain around his neck. He sputtered and gurgled as Tony held him down. 

It wasn’t long before Jim noticed the sounds of Randy and Tony thrashing around the stall. Dropping what he was doing immediately, he ran over to see what was going on, then joined in the fight. 

He’d grabbed a stun gun before running over and used it on Tony, until he released the chain, allowing Randy to fall to the ground gasping for air and loosening the chain from around his neck.

“Mother fucker tried to kill me,” he said, panting heavily and rubbing his neck.

“Yeah, good thing I was nearby.” Stepping back, Jim pulled Tony into the main aisle. 

“Go chain him up,” insisted Randy. “I’m going to beat the shit out of that asshole once I catch my breath.”

Holding onto Tony’s lead chain firmly, Jim looked doubtful. “You know what Kaplan said about this one.”

“That’s why he’s so fucking unruly. Chain his ass up and let me worry about Kaplan.”

After clipping the heavy hook onto Tony’s handcuffs, Jim hoisted him up until his feet barely touched the ground. With a brief smile, he grabbed a ball gag and wrestled it into Tony’s mouth. “Scream all you want,” he hissed.

Randy had walked away, going into the bathroom to wipe his face and catch his breath. When he returned, he grabbed a thick leather strap and walked over to Tony.

“Don’t think I won’t enjoy the hell out of this.”

The strap cracked loudly against Tony’s bare skin, leaving bright red welts behind. After starting with Tony’s back, Randy moved on to his buttocks, hips and thighs. Before long, he dropped the strap and began punching Tony with his fists, first in the jaw, then in the ribs.

“Stop!” yelled Kaplan, running from his office, another man on his heels. “Stop! What the fuck are you doing?”

“He tried to kill Randy, Boss. Wrapped that chain around his neck and tried to choke the life right out of him,” offered Jim.

Tony was breathing hard, but the beating had only angered him more. Hatred flashed in his eyes as he stared Kaplan down. 

“He has been more defiant that any other one we’ve ever had,” Randy sputtered.

“Yes he has, Boss,” agreed Jim.

Turning to the man who had been in the office with him, Kaplan said, “Kent, I want you to wash him down and get him back in his stall. Do you think you can manage that without him strangling you?”

Kent was taller than the others. Tim and Tony had seen him around the barn before, but he hadn’t been very hands on with the captives. “Yes, Sir, Boss,” he replied. “I’m sure I can handle him.”

“You two, go get me some more stock. I have a buyer coming in looking for fighting stock. Says he’s looking for a few, so I want at least two more. Tonight! Kent, I have a thought. Maybe Stormy would be more appealing to some buyers with a little bruising. Get him cleaned up and I’ll have Logan take more pictures of him tomorrow, so have him ready.”

“We can do it tonight, if you want,” Kent said. “You know I can work wonders with a little makeup.”

Kaplan finally smiled. “Good! I’ll send Logan over in a bit.”

Kent released the hoist, dropping Tony to the ground. “Come on, Stormy, we’ve got to get you ready.”

Still stunned from the vicious beating, Tony followed weakly after Kent. He didn’t have much strength left to fight. Kent had clipped Tony’s handcuffs to the harness he was wearing, keeping them pinned tightly to his waist so he couldn’t get any leverage on the chain.

Moments later, Tony found himself led through the large door at the end of the barn. He saw what was obviously Kaplan’s office to the left. Kent took him into a different room. This one was set up with a bed and other furniture, along with some artwork. The lighting was dimmed low.

Logan was there just minutes later, lugging a large box along with his camera. “Dad said to bring this over.”

“Thanks, Logan. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have him all set.”

“Um, okay.” While he waited, Logan took a seat in a plush chair and watched as Kent opened the kit and starting choosing and applying makeup.

“Do you want a little more light?” asked Logan.

“Maybe just a bit. Your dad wants to market this one to a different crowd, so we want low enough lighting to make it look sexy, but enough that the bruising will show.”

“Oh, okay” said Logan.

“If you want, you can bring in some props. You know, whips and chains. See if you can find a nice leather collar for him. Something that matches his harness.”

Before long Kent had Tony ready and Logan returned. Kent carefully posed Tony, then pulled straps tightly across the bed, fastening them to the frame to prevent him from moving. Rearranging the bed linens covered up the restraints, except the ones Kent wanted to be seen. 

After a long session, Logan left the room and Kent swatted Tony’s bare ass. “I bet we’ll find you a nice home really soon.”

After releasing all the restraints, Kent led Tony back toward the barn, then into the wash area where he began scrubbing off the makeup he had applied. Kent was just wiping him down when they heard the truck rumbling in. Before long, Jim and Randy were dragging in another pair of captives.

“We had a good night tonight, I’ll tell you!” said Randy. 

“Yeah?” replied Kent as he turn the hose on Tony.

Jim grinned widely. “These two plus three more in the truck!”

Tony’s heart sank. It was an unending cycle he wished he had the strength to break.

“Where are you going to put them all?” Kent asked.

“We’ll have to do some doubling up, I think,” said Randy. “We’ll have to split them up, I guess.”

As he finished hoisting up the new captives, Jim suggested, “Why don’t you put Stormy in with Dough Boy for tonight? That way we won’t have to shove three new ones into a stall together.”

“That makes sense,” said Kent as he finished washing Tony and reached for a towel.

On the way back to the main aisle, Tony tried to hide his excitement. A sense of hopefulness hovered in the air. Perhaps once they were together, things would be better. It would definitely make it easier to talk.

Tim looked up at the sound of his stall door opening. Surprise was evident on his face when Kent led Tony inside, then clipped the long end of his lead chain through the door.

The pair stared at each other in silence for a few moments, each listening to the soft footfalls as Kent walked away from them. Making his way to Tim’s side, Tony couldn’t help from reaching out and touching his arm. The slight physical contact made him feel more centered and stronger. Together they could accomplish anything, including getting through this situation.

“What? Why?” Tim sputtered. 

“Shh. They brought in five more captives tonight,” whispered Tony. “All guys. I saw the first two. Very young. Teenagers, I think. They only have two open stalls. They didn’t want to stick three newbies into one stall together. I guess one of them gets my place.”

“What are we going to do now? It’s only a matter of time before one of us gets sold out of here. Then what?”

“You stay strong, Probie. We are going to get through this.”

“I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Sidling up closer, Tony pressed his skin against Tim’s. The contact felt reassuring. When he spoke, he kept his voice low, “You are one of the strongest people I know, Timothy McGee. You and I will both survive this, no matter what happens.”

“You and Gibbs are the strongest people I know. But me? I don’t know if I can handle much more.” Sucking in a long breath, Tim tried to hold back the tears that were fighting to start steaming down his face.

Lifting his arms, Tony corralled Tim into a hug and pulled him close. “Trust me. Everything will be fine. It’s only a matter of time.” After a glance at the door, Tony settled Tim’s head against his shoulder so he could speak softly into his ear. “The short muscular guy at the end, the one they call Rocky. Do you know who I mean?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen him.”

“He was the other Petty Officer on the hike when his friend was killed.”

“He saw what happened?” asked Tim.

“Yeah. We try to talk when we’re exercising. He’s been telling me bits and pieces. They were having lunch with their girlfriends and he left to take a leak. When he got back, he said there was a fight on that dock. Two men had grabbed the girls and Petty Officer Grossman was apparently trying to stop them. Rocky, aka Petty Officer Dylan Howell, said he didn’t fight or resist. He saw his friend stabbed a couple times and dumped in the water. He was worried about the girls. He said he was afraid that if he fought they’d kill him, too, and take the girls anyway.”

“So he went with them? Willingly?”

“Yeah, I guess. He wanted to stay alive so he could help the girls. They were both here when we got here, but they’ve both been sold. The really pretty blonde with the big blue eyes, the one they called Angel Eyes, she’s Petty Officer Howell’s girlfriend. The Asian-American girl with the long dark hair, the one they called Silky, she’s Petty Officer Grossman’s girlfriend.”

“I remember them.”

“The night they took me in back, I glanced into Kaplan’s office. He fancies himself a business man. He keeps records. I know he does. He stays in touch with his buyers. Once we get out of here, we’ll be able to track them. We will get them all back.”

“What if we get sold before Gibbs finds us?”

“We keep looking for an escape. Even if we’re sold, we’re going to find a way to get free. Never stop, Tim, no matter what. It is our duty to get free and bust this ring. It’s our duty to stop them and to bring home everyone they have kidnapped, tortured and sold.”

Tim remained thoughtfully quiet, but sighed deeply. Tony had just reminded him of the huge responsibility they had. 

A few minutes went by as they sat in silent thoughtfulness, then Tim wrapped his hands around Tony’s and leaned in closer, his head brushing against Tony’s shoulder, his eyes down.

“Tony?” he whispered, “Make love to me.”

“What?” asked Tony.

His voice dropping even softer, Tim whispered, barely audible. “Make love to me, please?”

Shifting himself until his was sitting up straighter, Tony cleared his throat as he processed Tim’s words. “What?”

Finally looking up, Tim shifted, moving in closer. “I don’t want. You know. If something happens. Something bad. I don’t want my last time to be with one of them.”

“Tim, we can’t. I’m not going to take advantage of you. Not like that.”

“But I want you to. Please?”

“You’re not thinking straight. I know you’re scared. I am, too. But it’s no reason to. We’re not going to, you know. We have to think about getting ourselves out of here.”

“Have you ever slept with a guy before?”

Nodding slowly, Tony replied, “Yes, but that was different. Not here. It’s just the situation.”

Curling himself up tightly, Tim snuggled as closely to Tony as he could. “But I want you to,” he said softly. “I promise.”

“I’m not going to do anything that we’re going to regret later. We have to protect each other. I wish I could have stopped them. I would have taken your place if I could have.”

“I know.”

“I would have done anything to save you from that. I don’t know why they took you and not me.”

“Kaplan thinks he can sell you as a sex slave. He didn’t want you messed up. They keep saying they’re going to sell me for bait. I don’t know what that means. I’m not sure I want to know.”

“From what they were saying, some of the captives are sold into some sort of fighting rings. I think bait is how they refer to the captives used to train the fighters. Like sparring partners.”

Tim sighed heavily. Tony barely slept as Tim fidgeted in his arms. The more Tim struggled with his nightmares, the closer Tony held him. Running his fingertips over Tim’s hair caused Tony to smile. It was growing out again.

“Oh, my little Probikins, I need you to stay strong and to focus. We’ve got to find a way out of here,” Tony mused aloud as Tim slept in his arms.

Hours later they were given more food, then settled back into the corner of their stall with Tim leaning against Tony and Tony’s arms protectively surrounding Tim.

“I’m glad they put us together,” Tim mused.

“Just don’t think it’s cause to relax. This will be our best chance to get away together. We need to stay alert and focused. We can’t let any opportunity pass us by.”

Before long Randy came by and slowly opened the door, club in one hand and a stun gun in its holster at his side. It was Tim’s chain he took hold of, yanking it hard intending to pull Tim to the door.

With Tony’s arms still firmly wrapped around Tim’s waist, he dug his heels into the dirt floor of the stall, holding onto Tim tightly.

“I see,” said Randy, “you still want to play? Well, let’s play, you son of a bitch.”

Rushing into the stall, Randy grasped his stun gun with one hand and gripped his club tightly in the other. He went after Tim first, then Tony. Once they were subdued, he took hold of Tony’s handcuffs, lifting them up, so Tim could be untangled from him.

“Jim, come get Dough Boy.”

Tim had been taken away before Tony was able to move again. Staggering a little off balance, he made his way to the front of his stall. His hopes that Tim was taken for exercise or bathing were quickly shattered. Once again Randy had him tied to the cart in the main aisle and was preparing to rape him. Dropping to his knees, Tony tried to ignore the sounds of the attack.

Tim tried not to struggle any more, or make a sound. When Randy pulled him over to the cart and chained him down, he closed his eyes and tried to keep his mind occupied. He thought of advanced mathematical problems, computer programs and games, anything to keep his mind off what was happening to him physically.

Randy was still hosing him down and pushing to get a response when Logan came around the corner. “We have a buyer coming. The one looking to start up a new stable of fighters. Dad wants all the males ready.”

It had become yet another unpleasant routine. All of the males were pulled from their stalls, chained with their arms above their heads and their feet barely touching the stable floor. Each one was inspected, cleaned and groomed as needed.

Jim had pulled Tony from his stall and hooked him up, but Randy made a point to rub up against him. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. We’re going to have some fun later.”

Biting his lip, Tony forced himself not to respond, keeping his eyes focused forward and doing his best to ignore Randy’s existence.

With one large palm, Randy gave one of Tony’s butt cheeks a firm squeeze. “When you’re here just a little while longer, when you don’t sell for as much as Kaplan thinks he can get for you, or maybe when someone else catches Kaplan’s eye, one day, you are going to be free game. And oh, let me tell you, we are going to have us a real good time then.”

Kaplan took a final look through his stock before his client arrived. His eyes narrowed as he walked behind Tim and noticed the thin line of semen mixed with a hint of red that trickled down his inner thigh.

“Damn it. I told you guys to use condoms. Wipe that mess up.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Randy as he grabbed a towel from a nearby hook.

Each of the captives had been suitably threatened not to make a sound when there was a buyer in the barn. Thirteen men stood in a row, each naked and chained, their arms raised upward, while a man walked past them all, inspecting them. He was short and had two larger guys with him, obviously security. They remained near the entrance of the barn as their boss looked over the goods being offered.

“I thought you said you had some decent stock,” the man said with a thick European accent. “These that you have are too young, too old, too skinny, too small, too out of shape. They wouldn’t even make decent bait for a good fighter.”

“They’re good stock. They just need a little training,” insisted Kaplan as he walked confidently. “Take a look at Rocky down here. He’s as solid as you will find.”

“Too small.”

“He’s a powerhouse. They won’t know what hit them.”

“When was the last time you went to the fights? The best fighters are huge. All of them tall, strong and muscular. But of any of them here, he’s the only one who might make decent bait for training.”

“He’s better than that.”

Shaking his head, the prospective buyer took a last glance at the stock. “No, Kaplan, I don’t see anything I can use here. I have a few other stables to visit. Depending on what I find, I might take another look later on. I will need some bait for training. If you will let them go cheaply enough.”

“You go on and see what else is out there. I’ll still be here when you’re ready to buy.”

All eyes were on the buyer as he walked out the door and waved to his security to follow. Kent escorted them out of the stable.

Turning sharply, Kaplan was obviously unhappy as he turned to Randy and Jim. “I pay you fuckers to work. I pay you to find decent stock and train them. Look at them. You need to put some muscles on them. Get them trained.”

“You don’t want them to be too difficult to handle,” stammered Randy.

“You handle them. You train them. If we don’t make a couple sales really soon, I may have to hire a new crew to take your place. Understand?”

Jim and Randy watched as Kaplan headed to his office. They were putting the stock away one by one as Kent came striding through the aisle.

“This isn’t good,” said Kent. “First buyer through here in a long time that didn’t buy anything. Nothing pisses Kaplan off more than a buyer who doesn’t buy.”

“Yeah, we know,” replied Jim. “He made it clear it’s all our fault for not getting him good stock to begin with and for not training what we have.”

“He threatened to replace us again,” added Randy. “Not the first time. Won’t be the last.”

Standing still in the main aisle for a moment, Kent looked over each of the thirteen men they held. “Kaplan’s going to expect some changes. Put them up and plan on working some long days for a while.”

One by one, each of the others were put away until Tony found himself the last captive standing chained in the aisle. 

“I got Stormy,” Randy said as he approached Tony cautiously, stun gun ready.

Jim smiled, “Yeah? Sounds like you have something planned.”

“I do. Thought we could buck and gag this one. Let him stew a bit.”

“Buck and gag? Don’t think I know that one.”

“That’s old style southern at its very best. Besides, I think he deserves a front row seat for my next round with Dough Boy.”

“Even after what Kaplan said?”

Walking away, Randy waved off the comment as he began gathering a ball gag, a long pole and leather straps. “Kaplan is wondering why this guy didn’t buy. You know he’s worried about cops. This will all blow over in a week or two. After a couple good sales, he’ll forget all about this guy. Hey, grab Stormy’s legs for me.”

While Jim bear hugged Tony’s legs at the knees, fighting to keep them together while Randy wrapped a strap around one ankle, then pulled the other one close, cinching it down until Tony’s ankles were bound together. Next Randy forced the ball gag into Tony’s mouth and tied it on tight.

“Okay, let him down easy,” ordered Randy.

Failing to support himself, Tony dropped to his knees. A hard push from Randy landed Tony on his ass, looking up at his tormentor. Loathing flashed in his eyes as he contemplated his own revenge: the day he would handcuff Randy and send him to jail.

With help from Jim, Randy wrestled Tony’s knees up, scooting his feet as close to his body as possible, while bringing his arms over his legs. “Then the pole goes over an elbow, under both knees and over his other elbow,” said Randy as he prodded the pole into position. “He can’t stand up or lay down. Pretty much immobilizes him.”

Jim stood back admiring the handiwork. “Not Bad.”

“And now the fun begins,” said Randy as he headed for Tim’s stall.

Pushing himself back into the corner, Tim resisted the tug at the chain, but was eventually pulled out of his stall and led back to the cart in the main aisle.

“Never knew you were into guys so much.”

“I’m not. But fucking this one is the only way to fuck with Stormy for now. That won’t always be the case. If he doesn’t sell soon, Kaplan will lose interest in him and he’ll be fair game like the rest of them.”

Jim nodded in agreement. 

Randy hooked Tim’s handcuffs at the front of the cart, then spread his legs and tied his ankles to the cart as well. “Should still be wet enough from our last ride,” said Randy. Smiling, he grabbed a ball gag and a small length of chain from the wall, then returned to Tim. “This is for you, Stormy.”

A couple minutes into his assault, Randy took the chain and wrapped it around Tim’s neck, pulling it taut. “Remember this, Stormy? I remember.”

Tony writhed in his spot, fighting against every rope and strap that held him. His eyes met with Tim’s. Hoping he could give Tim strength, he held the bond. He wanted Tim to know he wasn’t alone and that Tony would do anything within his power to save him.

“Oh, this is good,” exclaimed Randy as he pulled the chain harder and began thrusting faster. “Hot and tight.”

Thrashing as much as he could, Tim fought to breathe. The look in his eyes was that of determination, not fear. In a desperate move, he lunged forward, managing to free his handcuffs from the hook at the front of the cart. Having more mobility allowed him to throw his weight back against Randy, causing him to lose his balance. The pair fell backwards, pulling the cart over on top of them.

A moment later, Randy was on top of Tim, pulling back on the chain as hard as he could. “You son of a bitch. I’ll teach you a lesson you will never forget.”

Scrabbling at the chain, Tim struggled for air. As Randy choked him, Tim began feeling lightheaded, then began convulsing.

“Stop it!” yelled Jim, rushing to the pair. “You’re going to kill him.” It took him a moment, but he was able to wrestle the chain from Randy’s hand and loosened its hold on Tim’s neck. “Shit!” he exclaimed as he released the ball gag, allowing it to fall freely to the ground as Tim began throwing up. He managed to pull himself up on all fours, but his arms and legs felt wobbly and weak as he wretched.

Sitting back against a stall door, Randy gasped for air himself, red faced and sweaty. “Damn, that was good. It only gets better when they try to fight you.”

“If you kill him before he’s sold, Kaplan is going to have your hide,” Jim warned as he stood by Tim, letting him catch his breath.

Using the nearest stall door, Randy pulled himself to his feet and tucked his penis back into his pants and zipped up. “That’s why I keep you around, Jim. You never let things get too far out of hand.”

Shaking his head, Jim led Tim to the wash down stall to clean him up before returning him to his stall.

“Help me move this one,” Randy ordered as he took hold of one end of the pole woven between Tony’s elbows and knees. “Grab the other end.”

With one man at either end of the pole, the pair lifted Tony up. Jim nodded as Tony’s weight settled. “Now I get the buck part of the buck and gag.”

Laughing, Randy led the way to the wash down stall. “Yep, just like hauling a buck’s carcass out of the forest.”

“Now what?” asked Jim as they lowered Tony to the concrete floor.

“Bath time!” Turning the water on full force, Randy soaked Tony down, blasting him in the face and watching him sputter. “I think we’re better off leaving him here like this than putting him into a stall with Dough Boy. He can’t cause any trouble bound up like this.”

The statement didn’t stop him from taking the length of lead chain attached to Tony’s handcuffs and fastening it to a ring concreted into the wall.

Throughout the next few hours, Randy would appear at random times to soak Tony down again, in hopes of putting him into a state of hopeless misery. “I’m going to break him sooner or later,” he’d say to Jim.


	4. Chance

Moving swiftly through the main aisle, Kent slowed and paused in front of Tim’s stall. Tim looked up at him only briefly before breaking eye contact. Glancing up and down the row of stalls, Kent frowned and scratched his head. Turning, he surveyed the girls’ stalls on the other side.

After a couple minutes went by, he spotted something on the wall by the wash stall and headed toward it. The clipboard with Tony’s check list was hanging on the wall. Stepping inside, Kent froze in his tracks. Sitting on the concrete floor was Tony, still bound, wet and shivering, just as Randy had left him.

“Son of a bitch!” Kent yelled. Returning to the main aisle, he picked up the phone. “Yeah, Kaplan, can you come down to the wash stall? You have got to see this one to believe it.” After hanging up, Kent dialed another number. “Jim? Get Randy and you two get your asses to the barn pronto.” This time he hung up without waiting for a reply.

Standing in the center aisle with his arms folded across his chest, his eyes dropped to the ground. Kent shook his head in disbelief and waited for Kaplan.

“What’s going on?” Kaplan asked sharply.

Kent nodded into the wash stall. “I’m guessing you didn’t know about this.”

“What the hell? Get those two bums down here. NOW!”

“I already called them.”

“What the hell were they thinking?”

Remaining silent, Kent shook his head and watched for Jim and Randy. A few more minutes passed by before the pair jogged into the barn.

Kaplan was fuming as he glared at his employees and pointed to Tony. “What the hell is this?”

“He can be difficult sometimes,” stammered Jim.

“He tried to kill me the other night. Wrapped a chain around my neck and damn near choked me to death,” added Randy.

“I already warned you about this. I have a buyer on his way right now just to look at Stormy. Look at what you’ve done to him. I swear, if the buyer walks away because of this, I’m going to horsewhip you both and leave you tied up for the night. Kent, get him ready.”

Randy and Jim watched as Kaplan walked away. 

“You want us to help?” asked Jim weakly.

“Help? I think you two have done enough. Get out there and get the place ready. I will take care of Stormy. Get out of my sight.”

Kneeling down at Tony’s side, Kent took a look at the bindings and the pole, then he pulled the pole free and tossed it aside. The ball gag was removed next. Tony shivered and felt cramped. His muscles didn’t want to obey his mind’s requests. Carefully straightening out Tony’s legs, Kent released the strap that bound them together.

Gently lifting Tony up, Kent moved him a few feet. Tony tried to stand and walk, but everything ached and felt terribly stiff.

“Shit!” Kent exclaimed as he considered his options. “Jim!”

A few moments later, Jim was in the doorway. “Yeah?”

“Get a couple blankets and a few towels and put them in the dryer at the highest setting for ten minutes, then bring them to me.”

“Got it.”

Instead of spraying Tony with the hose again, Kent grabbed a bucket and a cloth and began sponging Tony’s body. After wetting down Tony’s hair, he applied shampoo and rubbed it into a lather before dumping a couple buckets of warm water over Tony’s head, rinsing his hair clean. Tony sputtered and struggled slightly. His teeth began to chatter as he shook from the cold.

“Here you go,” offered Jim, holding out a pile of three towels and two blankets fresh out of the dryer.

Kent used the first one to cover Tony’s head and the others on his body and legs. After laying the blankets down on a dry area he had Jim help him move Tony onto the pile and wrapped him into the warmth. “I hope this snaps him out of it. The buyer is really interested and Kaplan’s going to be mighty pissed if the sale falls through.”

“I know,” Jim said softly. “Randy gets carried away sometimes.”

“He wasn’t the only one here and he’s not the only one Kaplan’s going to blame. I know you two are pals, but you can’t be fucking with the stock like this.”

Kent barley finished speaking when the Doc showed up.

“Kaplan told me to come check on Stormy.” 

“Randy had him pretty much immobilized. Looks like he’s been keeping him soaked down. When I found him, he was shivering. I thought the blankets would help warm him up.”

“When is the buyer due?”

“Not for a couple of hours, I think.”

“Not much I can really do for him. Has he been fed?”

Kent looked at Jim, who shook his head. “Not for a while. Not since Randy tied him up.”

“He had a ball gag and was tied so he could sit, but couldn’t stand or lie down,” added Kent.

Watching as Tony’s muscles continued going into spasms, Doc said, “I’m going to give him some muscle relaxants. He should be able to get a little sleep in. I’ll come back in an hour and give him something to eat, get his energy up before the buyer arrives.”

Kent nodded and watched as the Doc went to work. An hour later, he returned as promised with a mixture he force fed to Tony. “Give him a few minutes to wake up,” he suggested. “Then you can get him ready.”

Tony’s mind spun. If he were sold, would he have a better chance to escape? What would happen to Tim? He was torn between his responsibility to watch over Tim and his responsibility to get himself free and bring down Kaplan and his operation. 

Kent didn’t say a word as he led Tony into the main aisle and chained his arms above his head. Picking up a bag, Kent dug through it, pulling out some make up. This time he only dabbed on light touches, his goal to enhance, not to tease. With a bit of gel, he spiked up Tony’s hair, hoping it made him look a little younger than he was.

Before long Tony heard a vehicle pull up. Kent left to meet with the buyer. A couple minutes later, Kaplan walked through the barn, stopping to inspect Tony before continuing on to meet the client. 

Tony could hear the low rumbling of their voices from the training area. Holding his breath failed to make their words any clearer. Tugging against his chains failed to free him or make him more comfortable, but it did make him feel a little better. At least he was still trying to find the opportunity to escape.

If Jim and Randy pulled him down and tried to put him in a crate, he would fight them. He would fight harder than he had ever fought before. Closing his eyes he envisioned breaking free from their hold and getting over to Tim’s stall. It wouldn’t be difficult to open the stall door’s latch and take hold of Tim’s chain. Then they would run hard and fast into the darkness of night.

Hearing the voices growing louder pulled Tony from his thoughts and forced him to focus on the three men walking into the barn. Kaplan walked in the middle, between Kent and the buyer. With fluid hand gestures, he extolled all of Tony’s attributes.

“He could be trained for anything. He’s smart and athletic. You could train him as a valet or a fighter.”

“I make pornos,” the buyer confessed. “He photographs very well. Handsome.”

“Considering his good looks, I thought someone may take a liking to him as a sexual slave. I made sure he remained a back door virgin, if you know what I mean.”

“Absolutely,” replied the man with a short laugh. 

Tony caught a glimpse of the man as he came close, then reached out to touch Tony’s bare skin. The touch brought on panic. He wanted to struggle and to kick out against the man, but instead he froze, cursing himself at his failure.

“He is nice,” said the man, adjusting his gray driving cap. 

“We can talk deal in the office whenever you’re ready,” offered Kaplan.

The man circled around Tony slowly. “Not just yet. I might be interested in another. Let me see what else you have.”

“Male or female?”

“Let’s see the males.”

Kaplan and the client stood back, talking in low voices as Kent, Randy and Jim pulled the other males from their stalls and chained them up. Tony picked out a few words. The newer stock was deemed as too young by the buyer. Rocky was too muscular. Each of the males had some displeasing aspect about them until Tim was brought out.

Holding his breath, Tony glanced surreptitiously as the client inspected Tim. “He’s closer to what I was thinking of.”

“A superb addition to any stable. He and Stormy get along wonderfully. This one won’t give you much trouble at all. He’s probably the best behaved of the group. He’s a pleaser. I’m sure he will make you very happy.”

The man nodded his head as he continued walking around Tim, inspecting him from every angle and occasionally placing a hand here or there. Tim never flinched. “Nice. Very nice. Good as gold.”

Flashing a broad smile, Kaplan patted the client’s shoulder and nodded to the far end of the barn. “Let’s get this deal inked so you can get home and enjoy your new toys.”

The pair hadn’t gone far before the door from the training ring was pushed open quickly and loudly. Several people began to flow into the aisle, guns drawn.

“Freeze! Federal Agents!”

The moment Tony heard the call, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Tim pulled against his chains, uncomfortably aware of his nakedness.

Jim, Randy and the client gave up easily, remaining still with their arms raised. Kaplan ran toward his office with Kent on his heels. They didn’t get far. More Federal Agents were at the other end of the barn, coming in from near Kaplan’s office.

“There are more,” Tony choked out.

A hand touched his back. “We got them. We have them all.”

“Thanks, Boss.”

Gibbs scanned the chain for a few moments, then followed it to where it could be released. After letting Tony down, he went for Tim. Within a few minutes, each of the captives had been released and covered with a sheet or blanket. They huddled together in small groups, sitting on the wooden benches in the main aisle until they were directed to waiting ambulances where they were checked out by paramedics, then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Tony and Tim sat together, watching as Federal Agents swarmed over the barn. Doc and Logan had been located and handcuffed before being brought into the stable. Another team of agents was scouring through Kaplan’s office and boxing up paperwork.

“Are you two okay?” Gibbs asked softly.

“Sure, Boss,” Tony answered weakly. “Can’t blame us for hanging out in this little isle of joy can you?”

“DiNozzo!”

Tony’s smile faded. “It wasn’t easy, Boss, but we’re okay. We are both okay. The other missing Petty Officer is still here. The two girls were here when we arrived, but have been sold. I’m betting Kaplan keeps pretty good sales records in there. Most of his business seems to be repeat customers with a couple of referrals here and there.”

The buyer strolled over, hands in his pockets. “Kaplan told me what he was asking for this pair, Jethro. I don’t think you can afford them.”

Gibbs glared. “Touching my men was not part of the agreement, Tobias.”

“I had to play the part. Anyway, they are free to go. I’ll debrief them tomorrow after they’ve had a chance to rest up.”

“I will debrief them.”

“Jethro, this is an FBI case. You’re only here on a visitor pass.”

“My men, I will take care of it.”

“Get them to the hospital to be checked out and I will see them tomorrow. You can stay while I debrief them, if they want you there.”

“Hospital hell. I’m taking them to Ducky.”

“Of course you are.” Fornell smiled as he turned and walked away.

“Come on, you two. I already called Ducky. He will be waiting to check you out.”

Tony rose stiffly, but Tim remained seated. Tilting his head down, he attempted to hide the blush that was quickly warming his face. 

Gently laying a hand on McGee’s shoulder, Tony offered, “It’s either a quick visit with Ducky or a hellish nightmare at an ER. It’s better to get it over quickly, just like ripping a bandage off a scab.”

Tim looked up and sighed. Tony wrapped an arm across Tim’s shoulder and nodded to Gibbs. Tony helped Tim into the backseat, then sat in the back with him, carefully holding Tim’s head in his lap. They both fell asleep long before they reached NCIS.

“We’re home boys,” said Gibbs as he pulled up to the Autopsy door in the garage.

Ducky popped out a moment later, peering into the back windows. “Let’s get them inside.”

“I wasn’t going to leave them out here all night,” replied Gibbs as he opened the back door and reached for DiNozzo’s arm. “Come on, Tony.”

Taking the proffered hand, DiNozzo got out of the back seat and turned back to see Tim still sleeping.

“Go on with Ducky,” ordered Gibbs. “I’ll see to Tim.”

Tony dragged his feet reluctantly, but followed Gibbs’ orders. The steel table was cold, but Ducky was both as friendly and professional as ever as he began his examination.

“Ducky, can you take it easy on Tim?”

“Certainly, my dear boy, but aren’t you concerned with me taking it easy on you.”

“No,” Tony said plainly as his head dropped. “Ducky, Tim was raped. Repeatedly. And beaten.”

“Oh dear. What about you, Anthony?”

“Not raped. Not beaten to the extent Tim was. He was really brave the whole time, too. Never complained. All he was concerned about was to save the other captives.”

“He is a fine young man, that Timothy McGee.”

“A fine young Agent, Ducky. I just hope he can pull himself through this. It was a horrible experience. Probably worse than anything Probie could have imagined.”

“And yet you both survived. Like in the days of Ancient Rome, when men were captured, enslaved and forced to fight in the Arena. The two of you have been through unspeakable things, I am quite certain, but I am equally sure you will both rebound from the experience.”

“And that which does not kill us, only makes us stronger,” murmured Tony.

“Exactly!”

After finishing with Tim’s examination, Ducky pulled Gibbs aside to chat while they allowed Tony and Tim to dress in the NCIS jumpsuits Gibbs had managed to find.

“How are they, Duck?”

“They will be fine, I think. Of course they’re both feeling tired and drained. Anthony said they weren’t fed much and he thought his food was sometimes dosed with medications to keep him calm an easier to manage. It seems Timothy has gotten the worse treatment of the two.”

Ducky glanced back at Tim and Tony before turning his attention back to Gibbs. “Jethro, he was raped, repeatedly. There is still some trauma to the area.”

“Will he be okay?”

“Physically, yes. He will heal in time. His mental trauma may take longer to shake.”

“Fornell wants to debrief them tomorrow.”

“They will have to pass psych evaluations before returning to work. I’m not certain how quickly you’re going to get young Timothy back.”

“Thanks, Duck. I’m taking them home with me tonight. If Fornell wants to debrief them, he can come to my place.”


	5. Renewal

Three months had passed since Tony had returned to work. Throughout each day, his eyes would wander over to Tim’s empty chair. He hated it when anyone else decided to sit there for a while, few dared after a few minutes of his disapproving glare. 

“DiNozzo!”

“What?” asked Tony, snapping out of his daze.

“Grab your gear!”

“On your six, Boss.”

“He’s coming back,” promised Kate as they reached the elevator.

“I know,” Tony replied, running his fingers through his hair. “I just didn’t think it would take this long.”

The pair allowed Gibbs to take the lead on the way to the car. “Have you seen him?” asked Kate.

“Not for a while. I thought he needed some time to mend.”

“Ever think he might need your support to heal?”

Tony stopped in his tracks, eyes toward the sky as he considered Kate’s words. “No. Actually, I didn’t.”

Gibbs scowled at them from the car. “Hey! Let’s go! Tim is going to be fine.”

“Tony, you should go visit him. Maybe you can go with Abby. She visits a few times each week.”

“Of course she does.” Tony tossed his pack into the car.

Later in the day, Tony visited Abby in her lab. “Kate thought I should visit Tim with you sometime.”

Beaming brightly, Abby raced over to hug him. “Of course you should. He asks about you all the time, how you’re doing and everything. He really misses you.”

“Then why doesn’t he quit milking the time off and get his ass back to work?”

Continuing her work, Abby took a small vile over the her mass spec for testing. “You’ll see. When you come visit him with me.”

“How bad is he?”

“He’s going to be fine,” Abby insisted as she pushed Tony out of her office. “He’s going to be just fine.” 

Tim rarely bothered to dress as he meandered around his apartment. Since Abby visited often and was happy to bring him anything he asked for, he saw no reason to leave the security of his apartment except for his mandatory meetings with a psychologist. It didn’t feel like it was helping. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake his feelings of fear and doubt.

Nightmares still haunted him. Each night he relived the days he’d been held captive. The only warm feeling that gave him was when his dreams took him to the few hours when he and Tony had been put together and he had fallen asleep in Tony’s arms. It was the only time he felt safe. 

The light tap on the door startled him even though he knew it was Abby. 

“Come on, Timmee! I brought you a special surprise tonight,” she teased through the locked door.

Still in a T-shirt and boxers, Tim unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open just a crack, the way he always did these days. Not waiting for the door to open under Tim’s power, Abby burst through, rushing in to give Tim a huge hug, like she always did.

Instead of wrapping his arms around Abby, Tim looked beyond her, seeing Tony standing in the doorway. Raising one hand, Tim rubbed his chin. He hadn’t shaved for a day or two. He hadn’t felt like shaving and Abby didn’t seem to mind.

“Hey, Probalicious,” called Tony as he stepped into the apartment, pushing the door closed behind him. His smile seemed awkward.

Abby beamed, her head pressing against Tim’s chest and he arms still around his waist. “Tony came to visit, isn’t that awesome?”

Clouded thoughts paralyzed Tim’s mind. All he could do was to stare at Tony, speechless. It was as if he had lost the power to form words.

The smile faded from Tony’s face. “Is it okay that I’m here?” he asked softly.

Tim continued to stare at him without saying a word. 

Abby released her hold on Tim and grabbed Tony’s hand, pulling him into the apartment before it crossed his mind to dart for the door and leave. “Of course it’s okay, Tony. Don’t be silly. Tim, have you taken a shower today?”

A shake of the head was all Tim could manage.

“Why don’t you shower and shave and Tony and I will hang out? Okay?” When Tim remained still and stared back at her like a frightened animal, she quickly shooed him out of the room.

“Wow,” exclaimed Tony. “I was expecting more, I guess. I was hoping he’d be about ready to come back to work. But this, how he is. He’s not ready. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He’s fine, Tony. You were a bit of a surprise. Maybe it would have been better if I had warned him you were coming. You haven’t seen each other for weeks.”

“But he looks scared, Abby. Tim has never been afraid of me. I’m not Gibbs, you know.”

“You only wish you were Gibbs,” teased Abby, poking his chest with her finger as she headed for the kitchen to put a meal together.”

A smile finally broke across Tony’s face once more. “Abby, what am I doing here?”

“I’m am going to make something to eat, because if I didn’t Tim would be surviving on Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs, and you are going to talk to Tim.”

“I don’t know, Abs. How are things going with his shrink?”

“Talking to a stranger is not what he needs. He needs his friends, his teammates.”

“Kate’s been out to visit?”

“Of course.”

“Gibbs?”

“Yes.”

“Did he talk to them?”

“Yeah. But they’re not the person he needs to talk to. That’s you, Tony. You’re the one who survived this with him. You’re the only one who understands what he went through.”

“It won’t be much of a conversation if he doesn’t say anything.”

Rolling her eyes, Abby shoved Tony toward Tim’s room. “He was just surprised to see you. Now, go in there and talk to him. You make it work, Anthony DiNozzo. I am counting on you!”

“But, Abs, I don’t know what to say.”

“No excuses. He needs you, Tony. You need to draw him out. Talk to him. Talk with him. You haven’t been to visit and he needs to be reassured about how much you care about him. Go! And don’t come out until you two figure some stuff out.”

“Abby.”

After pushing Tony into Tim’s bedroom, she pulled the door shut. “Not until you figure stuff out, Tony. By then I’ll have dinner ready.”

“Great,” Tony said softly as he stood inside the room, his back leaning against the door.

Considering Tim’s situation, his room was in decent shape and fairly organized, not the scattered disarray his mind seemed to be in. Taking a few moments, Tony wandered through the room, looking over Tim’s things. His fingers drifted across a few books, discarded clothes and assorted pieces of technology, which he assumed were parts of computers. Or at least were connected in someway to computers or hardware or some other techie stuff Tim knew way more about that he did. Tim’s mumbling in the shower brought a smile to his face. At least Tim’s inner debate was stepping out. That had to be a good sign.

After a couple minutes, Tony grabbed one of the books and hopped onto the bed, easing back against a pillow. When the sound of the shower turning off caught his attention and he tossed the book aside. It wasn’t exactly his sort of thing anyway.

Moments later, Tim emerged, once again looking shocked speechless at the sight of Tony. “Hey, Tim. Abs is making dinner. She said we should talk,” pausing, he motioned to the other side of the bed. “Make yourself comfortable. Let’s talk.”

“What are you doing here?” Tim managed, grabbing at his towel to make sure it didn’t slip as he walked over to his dresser.

“I wanted to see you.”

“It’s been weeks,” Tim said as he slipped his boxers on underneath the towel.

“I’m not going to lie, Probie. I miss having you around the office. It’s strange. I guess I’ve gotten used to having you on the team.”

“Get off my bed.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

Smiling, Tony leaned back, fully relaxing as he intertwined his fingers and cradled his head against his palms. “Come on, Tim. You can do better than that.”

“Tony, please. I can’t deal with this right now.”

“Deal with what? Me lying down on a piece of furniture. Why not? I mean after what we’ve been through. I wouldn’t think you’d mind.”

“It’s not fair, Tony.”

“What’s not fair? Is it fair that I’ve been back to work for three months and you’re still sucking down the paid time off?”

“You don’t understand.” 

“I understand more than anyone else. Why can’t you even look at me?”

“It’s not what you think.”

“No? Then tell me, Probie. What’s on your mind?”

Finally raising his head, Tim pulled on a T-shirt and looked Tony in the eye. “Why haven’t you come to visit me before now?”

“I had my own demons to deal with. Besides, I thought you’d be back to work by now.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“I know you have some self-confidence issues, but I figured the shrink would help you through that.”

“Self-confidence issues? Really, Tony, you have no clue.”

Sitting up, Tony patted the other side of the bed. “Well, here’s you chance, Probie, clue me in. Sit. Relax. Abby isn’t going to let me leave until something is resolved, so let’s figure out what that is and get it resolved.

Tim stared at Tony for a moment, then climbed into the bed, facing him. “I kind of know what it is. But I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“What’s not a good idea?”

“Us talking about it,” Tim said softly as he picked at a loose thread in his comforter.

“After what we've been through together, I’d like to think you can tell me anything. Any-thing,” Tony emphasized.

“Remember that night they put us together?”

“Yeah.”

“We were sort of talking about stuff and I asked you to make love to me.”

“I remember. But that was a stressful time. I tried my best to protect you from everything. I know I couldn’t, but I tried. I wasn’t going to take advantage of you. I didn’t want to do something we’d both regret later.”

Dropping his eyes, Tim said softly, “I wouldn’t have regretted it. It would have meant the world to me, knowing that you cared.”

“I do care about you, Tim.”

“Then why wouldn’t you make love to me then? I needed the comfort, the stability. I needed you.”

“You’re pissed off because I wouldn’t screw you while we were being held hostage? While you were being raped and we were both being beaten? When every moment, we had to deal with the knowledge that those assholes could sell us or anyone else they were holding hostage? You’re mad because I wouldn’t fuck you over?”

“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” said Tim as he began rolling himself off the bed until Tony grabbed his wrist.

“Then enlighten me.”

“I love you, Tony.”

“Yeah? I love you, too, Tim, but that was no reason for me to permanently screw up our relationship.”

“I wanted you to. Before we were ever taken hostage, I wanted you to. But I knew I wasn’t in your league.”

“My league?”

“I’m not hot enough for you. I know. I was just hoping that when we were together like that and I needed you so much, I thought you might. I thought that maybe you needed me the way I needed you.”

Reaching out, Tony caressed Tim’s cheek. “I did need you. Of course I needed you. And we all need you now, back on the team.”

“You still don’t get it.”

“What? That you had a crush on me at one time? I get it. Don’t think I haven’t had a few crushes myself. I mean seriously, Gibbs can be one hot bastard. His eyes, his strength. Total turn-on.”

“You want Gibbs?”

“It’s a natural thing. Haven’t you ever had a crush on a teacher? Same thing, basically. I have a crush on Gibbs, you have a crush on me. Next Probie we get will probably have a crush on you, Timothy McGee.”

The last comment finally coaxed a smile from Tim. “I don’t think it’s just a crush. I wanted you to make love to me then. I even want you now.”

“Rule number twelve exists for a reason.”

Looking slightly crushed, Tim faced Tony, reaching out to touch his arm. “I know. I know. But maybe I’m not looking for a relationship. I wasn’t that night in the stall. I just. I always wanted you and I thought there, the way things were, I thought you would. I didn’t think, didn’t want to think that I was such a pathetic turn-off.”

“You’re not.”

“Then why? We could have died in there and no one would have ever known. It was only you and me. And I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Moving closer, Tony assured him, “You are good enough, Tim. It’s just, it’s complicated. It would make things strange at work.”

“I slept with Abby and we can still work together.”

Tony smiled and revealed, “Hell, I’ve slept with Abby and we still work together.”

“I don’t understand why you turned away when I needed you the most.”

Closing the distance between them, Tony pulled Tim into a hug. “Honestly, I simply did not want to hurt you. I thought you were scared and looking for something to cling to. If I had known it would mean that much to you, well, maybe.”

“You would have?”

“Definitely would have thought about it.”

“I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Outside the door, Abby called loudly, “Oh my god, you two. Dinner is getting cold. Why don’t you just fuck and get it over with already! Guys are so terrible at this,” she mumbled as she headed back toward the kitchen.

Still on the bed facing each other, Tim and Tony both laughed as their eyes met.

“She’s right, you know,” confessed Tony. "We definitely suck at this."

“I could, if you wanted me to, I could suck something else for you,” offered Tim.

“You intrigue me,” said Tony as he sidled closer, his hand reaching to brush across Tim’s cheek. “Just one thing you should know.”

“What’s that?” Tim asked as he moved closer.

“When I’ve been with men before, I’ve bottomed.”

“Oh?”

“Other men, they took me. Always figured Gibbs was a top. You?”

“I never thought about it.”

In an instant, Tony had pulled Tim down on top of him, pulling him in for a long kiss. “Maybe it’s time that you think about it.”

 

~~~The End~~~  
09/09/12


End file.
